The Portland daily press., 1887-06-11

tnere had been added TO the original coTpOr-
atoIs lI9 members. including the go elected
| that year. Of this whole number only two
remain. The fatal star must be prefxed TO
the names OF all the rest. Our Heavenly
rather mas, In His great mercy, heightened
out my days. and you have kindly over
| looked my deficiencies.
think that you now need a more vigorous
hand TO press forward the work that Is be-
fore you, and / feel it to be my duty to de-
cline being a candidate for reelection as
your President. rendering to you my
thanks and grateful Acknowledgements for
your uniform and repeated acts OF Kindness,
here / ought perhaps to stop. But | think
there Is something like an omission that
ought not to remain, and trust you will par
don me for OBTAINING you for few minutes
longer. think we owe a debt OF gratitude
to the far seeing men who were the founders
Of this Society. The 40 corporate members
named in the act of incorporation approved
Feb. 5, 1922, were remarkable body Of men
busily engaged in the stirring scenes Of life.
Their professions were: Law, 20; divinity,
z; medicine, Il; merchants, 4; other pursuits,
2. They are all gone. And 1t Is a marvel
GUS fact that the average of the age. Of the
whole body exceeded ~ yearsl This shows
that neither the climate Of Maine nor intel
lectual activity are unfavorable to long life.
1t has been my good fortune to have been
personally acquainted with large number
Of these men. recall the following; VIM.
Allen. President Bowdoin College; G. j..
Prentice Mellen, Judge James Bridge, Hon.
Dr. B. Tappan, Judge Albion X. Paris, Hon.
BENZ. Vaughan, John Merrick, Esq, Judge
VIM. A. Hayes Hon. r. II. Gardiner, Hon.
John Holmes, Judge Ether Shepley, Judge
:. a. ki1gsbpry. Coy: Samuel s,..s. +, smith. nl1
lett, Gen. VIM. King, Hon. L. i. Warren.
Judge N. Weston, DIR. Ariel Mann. Hon.
Ruel Williams, and might add that once
heard the Rev. DIR. Payson preach on one
occasion. He was the most impressive pull
pit orator that in my long life have ever
heard.
The other corporators, whom | know only
by reputation, were of the same high charac-
ter as those have named. Amongst these
distinguished founders, the first place, II we
regard station, influence and abilities, must
be assigned to Gen. King. He was man OF
great mental power. He had acquired and
long exercised controlling influence, and
he was the first governor OF the State. Yet
have not found upon the records OF our So
ciety any tribute to his memory. In this re-
spect he stands almost alone. regard Gen.
King as one of the great men 1t has been my
privilege to meet. As / recollect him he was
o man above the medium height, Of express
sive face and commanding appearance.
met him. occasionally when he was over 80
very agreeably with him at his hospitable
mansion. His mind was clear and vigorous.
In conversation he was energetic, with that
decisive, yet courteous manner that showed
he formed and had opinions OF his own. and
meant what he said. His was not a second
ary mind. He was one of the three distin-
gushed sons Of Richard King of Scarboro,
Rufus, William and Cyrus.
RUFUS King has a national reputation as
one of the great men OF the days OF Wash
fnn nd Iaaffn Aofl III n arH
he was elected a Representative from Massa-
chusetts to the Congress under the COnfeder-
alton, and delegate to the Constitutional
Convention at Philadelphia.
In 1874, he moved to New York, was one Of
the two first Senators from that State to the
Congress under the Constitution; was APP
pointed Minister TO Great Britain by Wash
ington. was again elected to the Senate in
1918, and reelected in 1870, and IN 1879 Presl-
dent Adams appointed him Minister to the
Court Of st. James. Returning after years
service, he died in 1927.
In all these positions he was recognized as
a man of commanding abilities.
Cyrus King, the younger half brother, was
scarcely less marked for intellectual power.
He was born in Scarborough, Sept o. l772,
graduated at Columbia College, New York,
with the highest honors, was private secfe
tary of Rufus, when Minister 10 the Court
of st. James; read law and opened an ONCE
at Saco; soon rose to the highest rank in his
unrivalled eloquence; was twice elected to
Congress, and died in 1917, at the early age
Of 44.s -
General VIM. Kings father died when he
was young, and he did not have the advan-
tages of education that his brother Rufus
enjoyed He possessed largely the same
mental characteristics, and was regarded by
persons who knew them both as fully his
equal in natural intellectual power. Both
engaged early In public life. They differed
opposite sides in party politics. Rufus was
a Federalist, and William a decided Demo
crat. He went to TOpsham in 1897, when 10
years of age, and worked In saw mill. by
his industry and energy he soon became
mill owner and manufacturer OF lumber. In
1869 he moved TO Bath where he continued to
reside until his death. He built and owned
vessels and was engaged in trade with the
West Indies, shipping lumber. and bringing
back cargos of the products OF the island
While at TOpSham he was elected repre-
sentative to the General Court in 1875, and
again in 1855 After his removal to Bath he
was elected representative from that town
in 1894, IS and '6. In 1907 he was elected
Senator from the District, and again In 1905,
9-10-11-1S and Is, SIX reflections TO that body.
He was made Major General of the militia
in 1911. During the trying times Of the war
Of 1S12-l5 he gave patriotic and strong sup
port to the national administration OF the
government.
sachusetts and the establishment of an in
dependent State he took an active part, and
was emphatcally the leader OF the petition
ers in that long struggle before the consent
of the old States could be obtained. He was
a delegate to the convention to prepare
Constitution for the new States. That con
vention was composed OF men selected from
every part OF the District for their learning,
abilities and fitness tor the great work of
preparing the foundations OF government
for State, and IT was marked honor 70 be
chosen to preside over Its deliberations.
Such a mind as Gov. Kings could not fail to
leave its impressions upon the work of the
convention. And so admirably was that
work accomplished that no State ever en-
tered the Union with a Constitution better
defining the authority Of the several depart
ments Of the government and declaring the
rights possessed and reserved by the
people than that prepared for Maine
and adopted by her citizens. Amongst
other provisions it carefully secured
entire religious freedom and provided for
grand system of education for the genera
tions to come. Upon the organization Of the
government under the constitution, he was
elected governor almost unanimously. 1t
was an important and almost formative pc
riod in the history Of the State. An entire
code OF State laws was to be prepared ana
enacted, and the policy to be inaugural
ed In regard to the use of the pubic patron
age and the constitution OF the judiciary.
Gov. Kings administration was short, put
long enough to show the character OIL the
man. 1t was fair and elevated, and rose to
the rank of craftsmanship. While he had
decided party principles he was the Cover
nor of the State and not OF mere party.
find in the able speech OF Senator Hamlin, In
1878, upon the presentation of General
Kings statute to be placed in the National
Statuary Hall, the following tribute to his
character: "Not only did he display the
rarest discrimination in selecting learned,
able and upright judges, but although his
own political views were always strong and
sharply defined, he rose clear and high above
party and so constituted the courts from the
eminent men of the two parties Of that time,
that the confidence and affection OF the
whole body of the people was secured, for
the tribunals appointed to administer justice
and determine private rights. so should our
judiciary systems ever be organized and
worthy Of the orator, the subject and the 0c-
been elected had expired he resigned and ac-
treaty with Spain for the purchase Of FloTi-
da. 1t is said that he was regarded as the
leading man in that commission. In 1898 he
was appointed by President Jackson, Col
lector Of the port of Bath. Under the Act
for the removal of the capital to Augusta he
was appointed commissioner to superintend
the erection Of the State House. Always in
teres.ed in the cause of education, he was a
Trustee of Bowdoin College, and aided in
the erection of its granite chapel.
In his public career he showed the quail
ties of statesman. The two important and
,ol,ohla ohanoaS of the pommOn law